Police investigate third possible suicide at Truman State University fraternity

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KIRKSVILLE, MO (KTVI) – A family in St. Peters is mourning the death of a Truman State University student found dead in his fraternity house.

This is the third time since August a student has died at the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity house. The first two deaths were ruled suicides. Late Friday afternoon, the coroner said it appears they are dealing with a third suicide case. The coroner’s preliminary findings suggest 18-year-old Joshua Thomas died via hanging.

The Alpha Kappa Lambda national fraternity released a statement saying that counseling professionals are providing support services for members of the chapter and others in the community, and that they’re cooperating fully with the university and police.

the school says it has variety of ways young people can seek help for depression, they remind friends of those who are facing mental health problems to continue to encourage those friends to seek help as for parents, they say the job of parenting is never over.

“These fraternity men are hurting. They’re very close and they have a lot of questions and we will want to support them; we have provided that,” said Lou Ann Gilchrist, vice president of Student Affairs at Truman State University.

It will be about eight weeks before the drug tests are returned that officials will likely know with certainty the cause of death.

“I’m confident we’re not looking for someone out there doing harm,” said Kirksville Police Chief Jim Hughes. “We have to be careful. We want the evidence to take us where it needs to go. We’ll wait for all the information is back before we make a call.”